After bringing the NCAA Central Regional home to the Health and Sports Center for the first time since 2019, the UNK volleyball season came to an end in the semifinals with a loss to No. 4 St. Cloud State (25-12, 25-19, 25-27, 25-19) on Friday night.
St. Cloud State hit .348 for the match and had four players with 11 or more kills.
“We couldn’t solve all the weapons they (St. Cloud State) had,” said Rick Squiers, UNK volleyball coach. “We were probably kind of back on our heels in the serve and pass for a good stretch of the match. But (I am) proud of our team for battling.”
The Lopers managed to escape No. 8 Oklahoma Baptist in the quarterfinals on Thursday with a reverse sweep after dropping the first two sets to reach the semifinals.
Chad Braegelmann, St. Cloud State coach, credited the UNK program in his postgame press conference.
“The University of Nebraska Kearney’s got something pretty special going on here,” Braegelmann said. “Their fan support is amazing, their team is ridiculously good, and Rick (Squiers) has built a fantastic program, and I think we saw that tonight.”
Squiers said St. Cloud State was able to take advantage of rotations where UNK had multiple passers on the court, as the Lopers were held to .195 hitting for the match.
“We had (a) two passer pattern, and they really had a tough server back there in those,” Squiers said. “So then you get down to one option, and they know where the ball’s going. They’re physically good enough to keep you from scoring. A lot of this season, we’ve been able to score anyway because Peyton (Neff) will go get a ball out there, and we got two outsides that can terminate, but (St. Cloud State is) really physical.”
Carly Purdy, a graduate outside hitter, led UNK with 18 kills on .349 hitting. Purdy said the Lopers left it all on the court.
“I think tonight there was just a lot of emotions,” Purdy said. “We don’t like to lose, so it’s hard. But, I think we’re really proud of what we did.”
UNK will lose four seniors from this year’s team, including All-American and two-time MIAA Setter of the Year Peyton Neff.
“It’d be hard-pressed to find somebody who’s done all of the things that she’s done,” Squiers said. “She’s on pace to be probably an All-American again this year and may go down as one of the most decorated players to ever wear a Loper volleyball uniform. So, I hope she knows how I feel about what she’s done and her as a person – she’s an even better person.”
Neff is also the second Loper in program history since 1990 to be a four-time first-team all-conference member, joining UNK Hall of Famer Erin Gudmundson.
“I’m just really proud of not only this team, every team I’ve been a part of; it’s been amazing every single year,” Neff said. “I think that we lose some amazing players every year and everyone kind of was like, ‘How are they going to come back from this? How are they going to be what they were last year?’ It just seemed like we got better and better every year, and I credit that to the coaches.”
The Lopers will also lose Aleena Peterson, who totaled almost 300 digs in two seasons after transferring in from Southwest Baptist. On the offensive side, All-MIAA second-teamer Abby Rose finishes her UNK tenure with 181 blocks and nearly 478 kills in 85 matches. Finally, American Volleyball Coaches Association first-team all-region and All-MIAA first-team outside hitter Emilee Lane will graduate after 852 kills in 97 matches played in a Loper uniform.
“For this group to be 30-4 and get a share of the conference championship, win the tournament, replacing all of our backcourt people from a year ago, I think it’s a credit to all these people,” Squiers said.